Home theater seats create buzz at retail
Category has strong sex appeal that entices consumers
By Tom Edmonds -- Furniture Today, November 14, 2004
High Point — Home theater seating is one of those happy developments that give the industry an unexpected boost.
Leather and motion seating producers say that home theater seating groups continue to move well. More stores are adding the category to their floors, and the sell-through has been strong in stores that already have it.
Obviously, this is another case of a hot electronics category driving furniture purchases, similar to the way entertainment cabinets and stands have taken off as consumers look for creative storage and display solutions for the new generations of television screens.
But these new seating units enjoy the distinction of being more than just a "solution." Whether they are ganged together like a row of theater seats or presented as an upholstery grouping, these recliners have the kind of sex appeal that manufacturers and marketers dream of but rarely achieve. As Phil Cooper, vice president of merchandising for Barcalounger, said, home theater seating "is something that everybody wants as soon as they see it."
A decade ago, home theater seating was a concept that was attainable only for the rich-and-famous few with the wherewithal to install an elaborate room with specialized electronics and furniture.
"The category came from the pure upper end," says Gary Zuckerman, vice president of U.S. sales and marketing for Jaymar. "It was a niche category for true home-theater installations. We caught wind of it, created a fairly simple style about seven years ago, and to tell you the truth, we didn't know the size of the tiger we had by the tail. Suffice to say, we make over 40 styles now."
Wide range of choices
Since the category hit the mainstream about two or three years ago, virtually every company that makes motion furniture or leather upholstery has jumped into it enthusiastically. Depending on where they shop, consumers can now find home-theater seating groups for under $500 per seat all the way up to $1,500 per seat, sometimes more.
Although consumers have this spectrum of price choices, a number of manufacturers said their high-end assortments continue to outperform other offerings.
"We've found that power and leather still sell the best," said Cooper of Barcalounger, where the top of the line, with power recliners and leather covers, carries a retail price of $999 to $1,099 per seat.
"The people buying these groupings are making a major investment in their homes, but compared with the cost of the electronics and the cost of the home, chairs that feature power and leather still are not a major expenditure," Cooper added. "Yes, they're going to spend some money, but they're going to have their favorite people in this room — their family and their friends. It's a room for entertaining, a place where people enjoy making a statement with quality."
One of the drivers for this category is the fact that many new-home builders are wiring bonus rooms for home theater installations. This creates an instant market for the unique seating groups that create the look of a plush screening room.
"One of the things we see happening is that home theater installers are setting themselves up as subcontractors for homebuilders," said Mark Parris, vice president of marketing for Coja Leatherline, another early adopter. "The installation becomes part of the contractor's quote and is built into the mortgage."
The 'Everyman' market
But several manufacturers stressed that home theater seating does not require a setting that matches a Hollywood mogul's screening room. Increasingly, these units are going into dens and great rooms — wherever television is frequently watched.
"There are many people converting their dens or their bonus rooms," said Cabot Longnecker, vice president of special accounts for Berkline. "This is where the growth is —with Everyman."
Of course, not every man wants a row of recliners ganged together in a horseshoe row in front of the television, which is why producers are offering motion features in more conventional upholstery collections — sofa, loveseat and chair. Either way, home theater is a blockbuster for motion furniture.
"It's put the same kind of excitement that consumer electronics have had for years, and it's put it into upholstery," Longnecker said.
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Home theater seats create buzz at retail
Nov 15, 2004
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